Toy typewriter



SePt- 25, 1951 s. l. BERGER 2,569,145

TOY TYPEWRITER Filed OO'L. 50, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 2'5, ,1951 s. 1. BERGER 2,569,145

TOY TYPEWRITER Filed Oct. 30, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 25, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Samuel I. Berger, Newark, N. J.

Application October 30, 1948, Serial No. 57,457

Itis among the objects of my present invention 4to provide a toy typewriter which has all the advantages of that of my prior applications Serial No. 658,318, filed March 29, 1946 and now Patent No. 2,486,702, dated November 1, 1949, Serial tially solely of sheet metal and rod stock to,

simulate the appearance of a genuine portable typewriter by a greatly simplified construction and which has the further advantage over said prior inventions of enhanced visibility of the platen and reliability in inking.

Another object of my invention is to provide a ribbon carrier which may readily be attached to a toy typewriter of the above type, that will securely hold the ribbon in place for the typing operation yet afford a clear view of the typing area of the platen, that dispenses with the complication of mechanism and yet will enablesubstantially the entire area of the ribbon to be 4 Claims. (Cl. 197-47) used and so avoids the need for frequent replacement of the ribbon.`

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a toy typewriter according to the present invention, showing its general appearance with the simulated keyboard and associated structure in place thereon,

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof with parts broken away taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view on a larger scale showing the type ribbon and carrier therefor, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view on a larger scaleY of the printing indicator.

Since the construction in its general outline follows closely that of the applications and patent above identified, being substantially similarV to the construction shown in applications Serial No. 731,318, and Serial No. 786,903, only so much of the construction has been shown as is needed to afford a clear understanding of the present improvements, and the general description will be correspondingly brief. v

Referring now to the drawings, as shown in Figs. 1v and 2 the toy typewriter simulates the Y appearance of `a modern portable typewriter presenting `as it does a base II having an oblique rectangular platform I2 which is a unitary part of the base. The platform I2 has a short front wall I3, a higher rear wall I4 and trapezoidal side walls I5 and has a simulated standard keyboard I6 which may be directly printed on the rectangular platform I2 or printed on a rectangular sheet metal plate (not shown) which is affixed to the surface of the platform.

A substantially U-shaped standard I'I, affixed to the center of the platform, supports the operating mechanism of the device and a platen carriage I8 is mounted on the platform I2 to the rear of the standard I'I. Inasmuch as the platen structure I8 may be substantially identical with that of my prior application Serial No. 731,318, it will not be further described.

A key lever I9 is pivoted on an axle 20, the latter being journalled in the side walls 2I rising from the lateral edges of the standard I'I afxed to the platform I2. Each of the arms 24 of the key lever I9 is pivoted to a link 25, the upper end of said link being pivoted by means of a transverse axle 26 to the obliquely extending arms 30 of a substantially U-,shaped sheet metal carriage 3I, the side walls 32 of which support a transverse plate 33 parallel to and spaced from the cross piece 34 of carriage 3 I. The end of each of said oblique arms 3|! is pivoted as at 35 to upstanding ears 3'6 rising from the rear end of each side of the standard II.

A type wheel 37, having on its periphery the type heads comprising the sequence of letters and numeralsVis provided, affixed to a substantially upright axle 38 journalled in bearing openings inA plate 33 and cross piece 34, respectively, and protruding from said cross piece, the axle in position of rest being at substantially right angles to platform I 2.

The type wheel 3l is adjustable to a selected setting by means of a rotatable cup-shaped dial 4I, which bears the sequence of letters and numerals on its upper surface, and which is suitably affixed to the protruding end of axle 38 as at 4I). A pointer 42 affixed to the side wall 32 of carriage 3| and positioned so as to be near theperiphery of said dial 4I indicates the selected setting thereof.

Ratchet means (not shown) fully described in my above identied applications and patents, is preferably provided to step the type Wheel around in effecting setting thereof by the turning of knob 4I.

To enclose the operating mechanism supported by side walls 2| of standard I1, a pair of side wall members 64 are provided, extending parallel to side walls 2| respectively and straddling the latter, said wall members being affixed respectively to platform i2 as by base ledges 64', and a substantially U-shaped cover piece 65 is provided positioned between the side walls 2| of the standard Il and affixed to the base thereof. Key lever |9 has a shield 66 unitary therewith and extending upwardly therefrom, as shown in Fig. 2. When key lever I9 is at rest position, shield 66 will extend in front of the type wheel and its associated mechanism. Shield 66 has inwardly turned lips 61 which abut against a downwardly turned flange 68 on the front of the cross piece of carriage 3| when the latter has pivoted to rest position under the influence of gravity, Vafter key lever I9 has been released. Lips 61 and skirt 68 serve as a stop to properly position the carriage in rest position, with transverse plate 33 well above cover 65. p

The construction thus far described is not per se claimed herein as it is the subject of my prior patents and applications above identified.

According to the present invention, for applying ink to the type heads, a pair of substantially L-shaped brackets 45 are provided mounted respectively on the end plates 46 at each end of the platen carriage and affixed thereto by tines 43 integral with the end plates 46 which extend through openings 48 in the brackets 45. Each bracket is positioned with its horizontal leg 49 parallel to the bottom edge of the end plates 46 and with its vertical leg 5| parallel to the front edge of said end plates, said vertical leg having a portion thereof extending forwardly beyond said front edge and curved so as to form a socket 53 which is parallel to said front edge and extends outwardly therefrom and .desirably has a circular tongue 50 at its lower end which may be bent over at right angles to close the lower end of the socket. In order to provide clearance for the rod 55 which extends longitudinally through the platen and protrudes from the end pieces, the bracket 45 has a cut out portion 56 between the legs l49, 5| thereof.

An inked ribbon 6| is provided, the ends of which are respectively positioned as at 6| between the upper portions of the legs 62 and 63 of cotter pins 51 and wrapped therearound as at 6|2. The cotter pins 5l are respectively positioned in the sockets 53 with the lower end 68 of each of the cotter pins abutting against the bottom 50 of said sockets. Each cotter pin is frictionally held in its socket by the legs 62, 63 thereof which normally tend to spread, with the upper portion 58 of the cotter pin protruding above the upper end 59 of the socket and serving as a handle. The handle portions 58 of the cotter pins are thereupon manually turned in opposite directions until the ribbon is sufciently taut and extends substantially parallel to the platen. Thus the ribbon will extend the length of and be spaced from the platen so that the surface thereof is clearly visible.

In the normal or idle position of the machine, the type wheel 31 is spaced from the ribbon as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When the type wheel 31 is rotated by dial 4| to select the desired letter to be printed, the type heads willnot touch the ribbon. To imprint the selected letter as indicated by pointer 42, on the paper positioned against the platen, key lever I9 is depressed, thereby pivoting carriage 3l about its pivots 35 from idle position shown in full lines 4 in Fig. 2 to operating position shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 2.

The shank length of each cotter pin, that is, its effective length beyond its looped or handle end 58 is substantially equal to the sum of the width of the ribbon 6| and the depth of socket 53. Accordingly when each cotter pin is bottomed in its socket, the protruding end of its shank will accommodate the ribbon end in accurate position immediately above the socket and below handle loop 58. The ribbon thus positioned is thus in the path of striking movement of the type, when the key lever |9 is depressed.

Upon release of the key lever I9, the weight of the carriage 3| will cause the latter to pivot to its idle position and by reason of the conventional escapement mechanism provided, shown and described in my previous applications, the platen will move one space to the left. During the course of movement of the carriage as the pressure of the type wheel on the tensed ribbon is released, the latter will move back to its original position in which it is parallel to and spaced lfrom the platen, the distance of the ribbon from the platen being sufiicient so that the typed letter may clearly be seen.

A pointer 6| is also provided, the base 62 of which is aflixed to the platform l2 between side Walls 2| of the carriage and the pointed upper end 63 of which, when the carriage is in idle position, indicates the position of the next letter vto be imprinted.

In the use of the toy typewriter as the ribbon 6| by virtue of its tensed condition will be spaced from the typing area of the platen when the key lever is not depressed, the user may readily see the characters previously imprinted and also may see the pointer 6| which will indicate the location of the next letter to be printed. Inasmuch as the tensed condition of the ribbon will cause the latter to move away from the platen when the key lever is released after each character is printed and after the type Wheel moves away from the platen and the ribbon, there will be no danger of smudging of the imprinted characters. As the platen and hence the ribbon carried thereby will be moved one space to the left by the escapement mechanism provided, after each impression is made, a fresh area of the ribbon will be available for the next letter to be printed thereby resulting in a clear impression.

After repeated use of the ribbon, by merely rotating both cotter pins 5l in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction a distance equal to one half the space between successive letters, an unused area of the ribbon will be available. Thus, substantially the entire length of the ribbon may be used. If desired, the width of the ribbon may be several times the height of the characters on the type wheel and after one longitudinal portion thereof is used as heretofore described, the cotter pins may be withdrawn slightly from the sockets or the ribbon may be reversed end to end, in both cases to present a fresh longitudinal area of the ribbon to the type heads.

Thus a toy typewriter of the same general simple and inexpensive construction as those shown in my previous applications and patents above identified is provided, in which an inked ribbon rather than an inked roller is used for printing,

which ribbon requires no mechanism for its yoperation other than that already provided to actuate the platen itself and hence materially reduces -the cost of the machine, and in addition increases the eiciency of the machine by enhancing the visibility of the platen and the clearness of the printed characters while at the same time enabling substantially the entire area of the ribbon to be used thereby requiring but infrequent replacement thereof.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a typewriting mechanism, the combination of a base, a platen carriage mounted on said base, type heads associated with said platen carriage and movable thereagainst, a pair of Ysubstantially vertical sockets affixed respectivelyat each end of said platen carriage and extending outwardly therefrom, an inked ribbon, and a cotter pin frictionally held in each of said sockets and protruding above the upper end thereof, the ends of said ribbon being positioned respectively by the legs of each of said cotter pins protruding above said sockets whereby said ribbon will extend longitudinally of said platen carriage.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which means are provided associated with each of said sockets properly to position said ribbon with respect to said type heads whereby when the latter are moved against said platen they will strike against said ribbon.

3. A typewriter mechanism comprising a base, a platen carriage mounted on said base at the rear thereof, a carriage pivoted on said base, means to pivot said carriage, a substantially upright aXle bearing in said carriage, a type Wheel affixed on said axle and coacting with said platen as said carriage is pivoted, a dial aixed to the upper end of said axle to rotate the latter and the type wheel thereon, a pair of brackets mounted respectively on the ends of said platen carriage, each of said brackets having a substantially Vertical socket portion integral therewith and extending outwardly from said platen, a Cotter pin in each of said sockets, and protruding above the upper end thereof, and an inked ribbon extending longitudinally of said platen and aiiixed at each end respectively to the protruding ends of said cotter pins whereby said ribbon will be spaced from said platen and positioned between said platen and said type wheel.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 in which the ends of said ribbon are positioned between and wound around the respective cotter pins whereby said ribbon may be shifted longitudinally of said platen in one direction by rotating both said cotter pins in a clockwise direction and shifted longitudinally of said platen in the other direction by rotating both said cotter pins in a counterclockwise direction.

SAMUEL I. BERGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 472,692 Blickensderfer Apr. 12, 1892 567,365 Spivey S'ept. 8, 1896 674,967 Green May 28, 1901 939,965 Aronson l Nov. 16, 1909 1,033,709 Lasere July 23, 1912 2,458,137 Berger Jan. 4, 1949 

